shown Sophie some of the rooms. They were elegant and had
beautiful beds. Instantly, that’s all she could picture: Riley and
Eliza in one of them tonight. Sophie certainly didn’t want to hear
about it. She started to step around him but he grabbed her
arm.
“Sophie—”
“I have to go.” He was so close and his hand
on her arm was like a fire brand.
“Please, Sophie. I can’t let you disappear
again. Sarah wouldn’t tell me where you went.”
She paused. She couldn’t live in San
Francisco and not see him, could she? Was she that strong?
“I . . .,” she looked up into his soft brown
eyes and melted. “I work at The Grand, next door. I’m the . . .
piano player,” she confessed. Wrenching her arm free from his grip,
she walked away without looking back. But she knew he would
come.
*****
Less than twenty minutes later, he was there.
She felt him before she saw him. He sat down at a table against the
wall, ordered two drinks and when they were placed in front of him,
he walked over to the piano.
“Will you join me for a drink?”
“I’m working,” she said, without looking up.
What would Freddie think if he walked in to his bar to find her
sitting with a man?
“When do you get a break? I’ll wait.”
Christ! How was she supposed to focus on
playing, with Riley seated a few feet away? If she had a drink
with him, he’d go back to Eliza at The Palace.
“I’ll be over in a minute,” she told him and
finished up the piece, though she was fairly certain she’d flubbed
the ending and missed out an entire measure. Riley and a few others
clapped anyway.
She curled and uncurled her fingers and went
over to his table.
“That was lovely,” he said as she sat
down.
“It was not.” Sophie felt immensely
resentful. All her hard work at not thinking about him and at
putting the image of his tawny eyes, sensual lips, and saucy smile
out of her mind was undone in an instant.
“Where’s Eliza?” she heard herself snap.
“In her room, getting freshened up.”
She had looked perfectly fresh earlier,
Sophie thought. “I think she saw me earlier.”
Riley nodded and sipped his drink. “That’s
why she hustled me out of here so quickly, I guess.”
“Did you tell her . . . that we kissed, I
mean?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, God,” Sophie muttered, lowering her head
into her hands. She’d be branded a harlot in the entire state of
Colorado and now in California, too.
He reached across and touched her arm,
causing Sophie to jerk her head up, the feel of his warm hand both
welcome and disconcerting.
“I didn’t have to offer the information,
actually. When you skedaddled from Spring the way you did, Eliza
came right out and asked what was up. Particularly after she heard
me pressing Sarah for information. Eliza’s a smart woman and I
guess she saw something between us.”
Something between them . Eliza had been
right. And was she already Riley’s wife?
“So, why are you sitting here with me . . .
on your honeymoon?” She could barely get the last word out.
Riley looked stunned. “Oh, Sophie, is that
what you think? We didn’t get married yet.”
Sophie couldn’t deny the immediate sense of
relief.
“You must really believe I’m a cad, if you
think that I’d be on my honeymoon and having a drink with you. I
tried to tell you at The Palace, but you ran off so fast. Eliza’s
staying there, but I’m not. I’ve got my old rooms that I’ve had
ever since I started medical school.”
“She came away with you unmarried and
unchaperoned?”
Riley shrugged. “She told her father we’d be
in separate accommodations and it’s true. Who else does she have to
explain herself to?”
“But why not just get married?” Even Sophie
was getting tired of their games and she’d been witness only to the
tail end of over two years of pussyfooting around.
“She didn’t want to. She wanted to see San
Francisco; that’s all. Also, she’s still a bit sore about you.”
“And
beautiful beds. Instantly, that’s all she could picture: Riley and
Eliza in one of them tonight. Sophie certainly didn’t want to hear
about it. She started to step around him but he grabbed her
arm.
“Sophie—”
“I have to go.” He was so close and his hand
on her arm was like a fire brand.
“Please, Sophie. I can’t let you disappear
again. Sarah wouldn’t tell me where you went.”
She paused. She couldn’t live in San
Francisco and not see him, could she? Was she that strong?
“I . . .,” she looked up into his soft brown
eyes and melted. “I work at The Grand, next door. I’m the . . .
piano player,” she confessed. Wrenching her arm free from his grip,
she walked away without looking back. But she knew he would
come.
*****
Less than twenty minutes later, he was there.
She felt him before she saw him. He sat down at a table against the
wall, ordered two drinks and when they were placed in front of him,
he walked over to the piano.
“Will you join me for a drink?”
“I’m working,” she said, without looking up.
What would Freddie think if he walked in to his bar to find her
sitting with a man?
“When do you get a break? I’ll wait.”
Christ! How was she supposed to focus on
playing, with Riley seated a few feet away? If she had a drink
with him, he’d go back to Eliza at The Palace.
“I’ll be over in a minute,” she told him and
finished up the piece, though she was fairly certain she’d flubbed
the ending and missed out an entire measure. Riley and a few others
clapped anyway.
She curled and uncurled her fingers and went
over to his table.
“That was lovely,” he said as she sat
down.
“It was not.” Sophie felt immensely
resentful. All her hard work at not thinking about him and at
putting the image of his tawny eyes, sensual lips, and saucy smile
out of her mind was undone in an instant.
“Where’s Eliza?” she heard herself snap.
“In her room, getting freshened up.”
She had looked perfectly fresh earlier,
Sophie thought. “I think she saw me earlier.”
Riley nodded and sipped his drink. “That’s
why she hustled me out of here so quickly, I guess.”
“Did you tell her . . . that we kissed, I
mean?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, God,” Sophie muttered, lowering her head
into her hands. She’d be branded a harlot in the entire state of
Colorado and now in California, too.
He reached across and touched her arm,
causing Sophie to jerk her head up, the feel of his warm hand both
welcome and disconcerting.
“I didn’t have to offer the information,
actually. When you skedaddled from Spring the way you did, Eliza
came right out and asked what was up. Particularly after she heard
me pressing Sarah for information. Eliza’s a smart woman and I
guess she saw something between us.”
Something between them . Eliza had been
right. And was she already Riley’s wife?
“So, why are you sitting here with me . . .
on your honeymoon?” She could barely get the last word out.
Riley looked stunned. “Oh, Sophie, is that
what you think? We didn’t get married yet.”
Sophie couldn’t deny the immediate sense of
relief.
“You must really believe I’m a cad, if you
think that I’d be on my honeymoon and having a drink with you. I
tried to tell you at The Palace, but you ran off so fast. Eliza’s
staying there, but I’m not. I’ve got my old rooms that I’ve had
ever since I started medical school.”
“She came away with you unmarried and
unchaperoned?”
Riley shrugged. “She told her father we’d be
in separate accommodations and it’s true. Who else does she have to
explain herself to?”
“But why not just get married?” Even Sophie
was getting tired of their games and she’d been witness only to the
tail end of over two years of pussyfooting around.
“She didn’t want to. She wanted to see San
Francisco; that’s all. Also, she’s still a bit sore about you.”
“And
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